Incredible Hamm lifts United States to 3-0 shutout of Denmark.

By Gary Davidson
SoccerTimes

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (Saturday, June 19, 1999) -- In the weeks prior to the start of the
1999 Women's World Cup, United States striker Mia
Hamm received more media attention than the rest of her teammates combined.

She lived up to her press clippings yesterday, scoring one goal, assisting on another second
and turning in an altogether memorable effort in leading the United States over Denmark 3-0 in
the tournament's opening match before a Giants Stadium crowd of 78,972, the most ever to
witness a women's sports event.

"I guess I'll read about it in the paper tomorrow," Hamm joked after the match. "There are
so many great stories on this team. I wish they'd spread (the coverage) around. But it's great
you guys (the media) have embraced this tournament."

That press coverage helped produced the packed house that cheered the Americans' every move.
"This crowd was unbelievable," Hamm said. "Julie
(Foudy, the team captain) was speechless and that's not easy to do. It was a very proud moment."

Hamm treated the capacity crowd to maybe her best in a FIFA international tournament. In
addition to putting her team ahead for good in the 17th minute and assisting Foudy who made it
2-0 in the 73d, Hamm placed perfect passes on the feet of teammates in the penalty area four other times. She
also backtracked to make several tackles in the defensive half.

"Tomorrow's a new day. Nigeria's a new team," said Hamm of the Americans' next opponent
Thursday at Chicago's Soldier Field. "I just want to do whatever it takes my team. If that means
working hard defensively, not getting a shot on goal, if we still win, that's fine with me. We
just want to advance and get better as a team."

In the 17th minute, defender Brandi Chastain
sent a long pass to Hamm in the right side of the box. Hamm pulled the ball down with a chest
trap to her right foot, cut back and lofted a ball to her left foot to elude defender Katrine
Pedersen, and then drilled a 15-yard shot into the near top corner well beyond the reach of
goalkeeper Dorthe Larsen to make it 1-0. It was Hamm's world-best 110th international goal.

"We had been struggling to get it going early, mostly because of nerves" said Foudy, who
treated the crowd to an Austin Powers go-go dance move after her tally. Hamm "was bouncing the
ball off her body and I didn't think she was going to get to it. When she made the goal, I
think we were all like 'Yeah, yeah, we're going to be OK.' "

Seven minutes later, Hamm set up striker Cindy
Parlow whose 12 blast was stopped by Larsen with her left foot, with the ball caroming off
the left post and away from danger.

"I'm really happy for Mia because people are always talking about her," said Denmark
midfielder Mikka Hansen, a California native, product of American youth soccer and Santa Clara
University graduate whose father Per is Danish. "She's the best player in the world and she
scored a great goal and she played a great game. I'm very happy for her. They played well,
with a lot of confidence. People were worried about them being really tense, but they were
having a good time and they maintained their composure."

The U.S. survived a scare in the second minute when Denmark midfielder Lene Jensen Revsbeck
cut inside defensive midfielder Michelle Akers
for a free run down the center. Jensen Revsbeck located Gitte Krogh open in the right side of
the box, but U.S. keeper Briana Scurry took away
the near side and Krogh's shot from a sharp angler rolled across the goal mouth and harmlessly
away.

"I think people are na´ve if they think we're not going to give a good team like Denmark
some chances," U.S. assistant coach Lauren Gregg
said.

U.S. head coach Tony DiCicco, at the
suggestion of Gregg, made a strategic adjustment at intermission, moving
Kristine Lilly from the midfield forward and
dropping striker Cindy Parlow back to the middle. The move worked as intended with the tall
Parlow and Michelle Akers winning headers in the midfielder and with Lilly establishing better
possession on the front line. The American dominance in the first 45 minutes became even more
pronounced in the second half.

In the 73d minute, Hamm worked into the right side of the box and sent a cross that went
just over the head of Lilly in front of the goal to Foudy on the left. Her 12-yard shot scraped
the bottom of the crossbar on its way in.

"I think it was a great game for (Hamm)," said midfielder\striker Kristine Lilly, who
finished the scoring in the 89th minute off an assist from defender
Joy Fawcett. "To her, she's playing her soccer.
But as I say, I think her next game will be her best game.. It was nice to finish a goal after
having missed chances."